What happened
A commercially certificated pilot was conducting an air taxi flight, departing from a remote airport. During the takeoff phase, the pilot observed a flock of geese flying directly into the path of the airplane. One of the birds struck the aircraft, specifically impacting the leading edge of the right wing.
The investigation
Following the incident, the operator performed repairs to address the damage sustained during the bird strike. The maintenance work involved replacing a 23-inch-wide section of the right wing leading edge skin. Additionally, a leading edge rib and a section of the wing top skin were replaced to restore the airframe to serviceable condition.
Findings
The incident was caused by bird strike during departure operations at a remote location where wildlife activity intersected with the flight path.